Beyond Binging: High-Intensity Drinking

Center City, Minn. (May 24, 2017)—A substantial proportion of young adults are engaging in levels of alcohol consumption beyond the "binge" threshold, sparking new concerns among public health professionals.

That according to the latest edition of the Hazelden Betty Ford Institute for Recovery Advocacy's Emerging Drug Trends report, produced in collaboration with the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

"About half of the people we call binge drinkers, who meet the typical binge drinking criteria of having five or more drinks in a row, are actually drinking about twice as much alcohol as that," said Dr. Megan Patrick, from the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research, whose recent studies are among those highlighted in the new report. "It became clear that high-intensity drinking—for example, drinking 10 or more drinks in a row—was more common than we thought."

"We are seeing more problems with college-educated women in particular, who are now drinking far more, and with greater consequence, than in previous generations," added Dr. Joseph Lee, Medical Director of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's Youth Continuum.

Nick Motu, Vice President of the Institute, which is part of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation's leading nonprofit provider of addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery services, said: "Amid our country's devastating opioid epidemic and heated debates over marijuana policy, it's important to remember that alcohol remains America's most pervasive drug and the one most harmful to public health and the economy."

The May 2017 report on high-intensity drinking—defined as consuming 10 or more drinks in a single sitting—is the second edition of the new monthly Emerging Drug Trends report designed to provide front-line treatment and research perspectives on America's No. 1 public health problem—addiction.

This month's report indicates about one in nine young adults (11 percent) were classified as high-intensity drinkers from 2005 to 2015, with similar prevalence among high school students.

"This research is another reminder that alcohol—as our most accessible and culturally acceptable drug—is the one that most often triggers problems in people who are susceptible to substance misuse, addiction and other related health issues," said Dr. Lee.

"People in high-risk populations, who often drink excessively in combination with other substance use, will likely develop severe alcohol use disorder and experience a host of other tragic consequences," Dr. Lee continued. "Unfortunately, these high-risk individuals are rarely identified and helped, until it's too late. Instead, they remain hidden in a popular culture that has both normalized problem drinking and failed to let go of the delusional thinking that everyone reacts to alcohol in the same way."

Dr. Lee said that even those with low risk of developing alcohol use disorders "suffer from the ramifications of excessive drinking—from DUIs, car crashes and violence, to date rape" and that "millions more are affected by the collateral damage."

More and earlier intervention is needed, said Dr. Amelia Arria, Associate Professor and Director of the Center on Young Adult Health and Development at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

"Regularly asking about alcohol consumption patterns to detect individuals at risk for problematic consumption should be common practice for physicians and other health care professionals who manage the care of young adults," Dr. Arria said. "Early intervention to address problematic drinking trajectories is essential to mitigate possible health-related consequences."

About the Hazelden Betty Ford Institute for Recovery Advocacy

Our mission is to provide a trusted national voice on all issues related to addiction prevention, treatment and recovery and to facilitate conversation among those in recovery, those still suffering and society at large. We are committed to smashing stigma, shaping public policy and educating people everywhere about the problems of addiction and the promise of recovery. The Hazelden Betty Ford Institute for Recovery Advocacy is part of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation's largest nonprofit treatment provider. Learn more at www.HBFinstitute.org and on Twitter @hbfadvocacy.

About the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation helps people reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction. It is the nation's leading nonprofit treatment provider, with a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center. With 17 sites in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Colorado and Texas, the Foundation offers prevention and recovery solutions nationwide and across the entire continuum of care for youth and adults. It includes the largest recovery publishing house in the country, a fully-accredited graduate school of addiction studies, an addiction research center, an education arm for medical professionals and a unique children's program, and is the nation's leader in advocacy and policy for treatment and recovery. Learn more at HazeldenBettyFord.org and on Twitter @hazldnbettyford.

The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is a force of healing and hope for individuals, families and communities affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. It is the nation's largest nonprofit treatment provider, with a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center. With 17 sites in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Colorado and Washington, the Foundation offers prevention and recovery solutions nationwide and across the entire continuum of care for youth and adults.